Three more St. Louis Area Chapter volunteers deployed in response to Rockford, IL flooding

St. Louis, Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter deployed Mary Anderson (Belleville, IL), director of disaster readiness and response, to the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday as part of a pre-deployment team preparing for the landfall of Tropical Storm Dean. Forecasters indicate that the storm may strengthen to hurricane status later in the week and pose a threat to Caribbean islands. Also this week, the St. Louis Area Chapter deployed three relief workers to Rockford, IL as part of an ongoing operation in response to severe local flooding.

Red Cross relief workers are highly trained and specialize in sheltering, feeding, health services and logistics and accept deployments that may last as long as three weeks. There are currently 10 Red Cross relief workers from the St. Louis Area Chapter deployed as part of these two relief efforts.

The 10 deployed Red Cross workers from the St. Louis Area Chapter include the following:

• Mary Anderson (Belleville, IL) - Pre-Deployment for Tropical Storm Dean
• Don Barkley (Fairview Heights, IL) - Illinois Flooding
• Rita Determan (Swansea, IL) - Illinois Flooding
• Elaine Hegel (St. Louis, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Teena Kilo (Festus, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Annetta Kuechler (Chesterfield, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Stephanie Landess (Ferguson, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Fran Nolting (St. Peters, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Susan Ostien (Weldon Spring, MO) - Illinois Flooding
• Dorothy Staples (Wentzville, MO) - Illinois Flooding

About Red Cross Emergency Services:
The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with shelter, food, emotional support and emergency supplies as needed in the wake of disasters and emergencies. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a wide range of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of volunteers who give freely of their time.

The American Red Cross is not a government agency, and all Red Cross disaster relief assistance is free of charge, thanks to generous public support.  For more information about volunteer opportunities, emergency services or a variety of other programs provided by the organization, please call 314.516.2800, or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter's website at www.redcrossstl.org. 

How to Help:
To help the Red Cross provide immediate shelter, food, emotional support and emergency supplies to disaster victims in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Rockford, IL and throughout the country, the public is encouraged to make a financial contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at 1-800-RED CROSS or www.redcross.org.

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 90 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 410,000 times each year. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

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